Although every day should be dedicated to freeing dogs of a miserable existence on chains, this week is especially dedicated to that effort.
Dogs are very social creatures and over the centuries were purposely bred to be "man's best friend". Dogs thrive on the love and companionship of people. However, chained dogs are easily ignored and forgotten.
There are many excuses as to why people keep their dogs chained or tethered. Many are seen as a source of protection-a barking dog will scare off the ill-intentioned. A dog living inside will do the same.
Often outdoor dogs are ridden with parasites and not wanted inside. They develop heartworm and often the chains or tethers become tight and embedded leaving horrific and infected wounds.
Many are unspayed females who are raped over and over and forced to give birth in the dirt and often without adequate shelter only to see their pups suffer and die.
Pookie was one such tethered dog. Only the unimaginable happened and his owners not only chained him but left him behind when they moved. They left him to suffer. To starve. To die. Alone. However, as everyone knows, Pookie's ill fate was reversed the day Relle and David stumbled upon him and freed him of his misery.
Pookie has a little trouble at first trusting dogs. We are certain he was likely attacked by strays as he waited helplessly. He also had horrible heartworm and skin infections. You could count every rib.
But even after all the suffering he endured he never held a grudge against humanity - though he had every right to!
That was three years ago and look at him now! Pookie has a wonderful forever mom who keeps up his very own fb page Pookie's Big Adventures. He has a yard, and toys and human and dog friends alike.
Pookie was one of the lucky ones.
So, if you see something, don't ignore it. Say something. Chaining dogs is wrong. As man's best friend dogs deserve only the Best!